


Lance's Last Words

by genericfanatic



Series: Last Words [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7568599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genericfanatic/pseuds/genericfanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The holographic technology will hold their memories, but only for a few ticks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lance's Last Words

“Move! Move!” Shiro shouted, carrying Lance towards the medical pod. The other Paladins ran behind him, only Keith able to keep pace. 

Shiro had held Lance like this before, but at the time, Lance had been unconscious. Shiro wished Lance were unconscious this time, instead of rasping and choking on his own blood, eyes wide and horribly aware.

No time to think of that now. Shiro practically threw Lance into the pod, Coran closing the door for him. Allura covered her mouth when she saw Lance. She heard the injury over the comms, but couldn’t picture something that horrible. 

Coran punched in commands to the pod like it was a matter of life and death, which it was. The pod froze Lance, and, in a moment, he stood peaceful, motionless. Then, inside the tube, he started rasping again, clutching at the laser blast in his chest. “What’s happening?” Hunk demanded.

Coran didn’t bother answering, just began punching at the controls once again, his brow furrowed. The others stared between him and Lance who didn’t seem to be breathing properly. “He’s—he can’t be dying!” Pidge shouted, eyes filled with tears. 

Shiro shook his head, not letting himself believe it. “Is there anything we can do?” He begged Coran, “something to help?”

“Shut up!” Coran commanded, unusually harsh. He opened the pod and Lance fell out into Coran’s arms. Coran looked down at Lance’s unusually pale face, pushing tears back into his eyes. 

He lifted Lance up and ran down the hallway. “Where are you going?” Keith shouted after him. 

“No time!” Coran shot back. The paladins and Allura tore after him. “We only have a few ticks if this is going to work!” 

Coran put Lance carefully into one of the pods beside where they had kept Sendak. When he released Lance, he saw his own clothes covered in blood. He shook his head and started tapping at the controls again. 

Out of breath, the rest of the crew joined him. They stared at Lance as he all but coughed his lungs out, blood spattering on the inside of the tube. Coran kept typing until a progress bar appeared on the screen. He stared at it, using the power of his own will to make it fill faster.

The others couldn’t tear their gaze from Lance. Everyone was silent, and so Lance’s slow, ragged breathing echoed around them. The breaths got slower…and slower…until…

“NO!” Hunk shouted as Lance’s form went limp, color drained from his eyes. Hunk pounded on the front of the pod, begging whatever deity who would listen to take it back, “No, no, NO!”

Allura’s eyes filled with tears and she sobbed silently. Pidge reached for Shiro, weeping into his chest. Shiro patted Pidge’s back, but his face was blank, not believing it, because it was too impossible. Keith sunk to his knees, too shocked to cry. 

Coran closed his eyes for a moment as Hunk shouted his desperate pleas, but didn’t take his eyes off the progress bar. There was still time, he was so close, he could get this one last thing. For Lance.

“Got it!” He shouted as the progress bar filled.

Hunk finally went silent, looking up at him through his tears. “Got? G-got what?”

Coran wiped one eye that threatened to leak over. “Lance’s memories. I managed to download them before he lost higher brain functions.”

Allura was the first to speak up. “But…to play them…that program was corrupted when Sendak—“

“I might be able to keep them running, not for long, but…just long enough to—to—“ 

There was silence as Coran trailed off, unable to finish. Finally, Shiro finished for him, “To say goodbye.” Coran nodded.

Allura helped Keith stand, and they solemnly walked down to the holoroom, “I can’t,” Pidge said when they reached the door, “I just—I can’t. I’m not ready to say goodbye.”

Shiro felt largely the same way but patted Pidge’s shoulder, “It’s now or never.”

The doors opened to a beautiful beach. They looked out into it, no one wanting to be the first to step through. Finally Coran entered, “What is this place?”

The others slowly followed. “It’s Varadero beach,” Hunk muttered, “Lance’s home.”

They all saw him at the same time. Lance sat in blue board shorts, as healthy as he’d ever been, looking out at the ocean, the wind blowing in his hair. “Lance,” Shiro called.

Lance turned to them, a calm smile on his face. “Hey guys!” No one spoke. :ance looked to each of them in turn, noticing their tearstained faces, and Shiro and Coran’s bloodstained clothes. Slowly, the smile fell from his face. “I’m dead, aren’t I?” Pidge let out a sob. Shiro and Keith instinctively put their arms around Pidge. “Is this a vision? Heaven?”

“Holographic projection,” Coran said, “I’m afraid it won’t last long.”

Lance nodded and stood up. “I see.” He swallowed. “I guess I better get to it then.” He looked over the crowd, his friends. His gaze looked over the crowd, his friends, and finally fell on Hunk, who’s eyes were already red and puffy. He put a hand on Hunk’s shoulder. “You’re the best best friend a guy could ask for, you know that?” Hunk pulled Lance into a bone crushing hug. Or, it would be, if Lance had bones.

“It’s all your damn fault.” Hunk said into Lance’s shoulder, “Making me try to be a fighter class pilot. Sneaking me out of the garrison. Making me go into outer space.”

Lance smirked. “You loved every minute of it.”

Hunk nodded. “What the hell am I supposed to do without you, man?”

Lance shrugs, finally breaking the hug. “Just think to yourself, what would Lance do?”

“And then do the opposite.”

They both laughed. Lance sighed, trying to hold the smile. “Take care of yourself, Haku,” Hunk closed his eyes and nodded. Lance hadn’t used his given name since they first met.

Lance turned to Coran who stood beside him. “Coranic the Mechanic,” Lance said, “You’re a good man, Coran.” Lance gave Coran a hug, and finally, Coran let himself cry.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more,” he said, and then lowered his voice to a whisper, “you were secretly my favorite paladin.”

Lance gave a short laugh. “I’ll take your secret to the grave.” Coran smiled but several others winced. “What, too soon?”

“Perhaps a touch,” Allura said.

Lance smiled at her, and took her hand. “Allura, my princess, it appears our love was not meant to be.” Allura, through her tears, raised an eyebrow of disapproval. Lance giggled, “still, you are the most beautiful princess in the universe, and…and a great friend.” 

That’s when Allura started bawling once again. Lance pulled her into a hug, and she sobbed into his holographic chest. “Y-you knew,” she whimpered, “you know I do like you, right? N-not the way you wanted, but—“ she swallowed, trying to get the words out, “B-but I know I t-teased you and I d-don’t want you to think I hated y-you—“

“Princess, princcess,” Lance said, “I knew. I know.” He stroked her hair, “You have nothing to feel guilty about. But I do have something to ask you.” He pushed her away to face her. “Are my ears really ugly?”

She smiled, giving a slight giggle, and shook her head. Lance took her hand, bowed low, and kissed it. He gave her one last smile before turning to his next target. “Hey Kiddo,” he said to Pidge.

Pidge finally released Shiro, but immediately regretted it when Lance ruffled their hair. “I’m really, really sorry about this,” Lance said, “but it is literally my last chance.” Pidge frowned, confused, before Lance picked them up off the ground and whirled them in the air. 

Pidge shrieked before Lance put them back down. Lance laughed, while Pidge smacked him on the arm. “ASSHOLE!”

He laughed at the outburst, but it faded as he looked where Pidge had smacked him. “That didn’t hurt…” He said, contemplative. And why would it? He wasn’t really there.

Pidge immediately regretted hitting him, but he smiled to ease the tension. Still, Pidge hugged him, trying to make up for it. “You’re going to find your family, kid.” Lance said, “I know you will.”

Pidge nodded, squeezing him tight. “It’s going to be too damn quiet around here. I know it.” 

Lance snorted. “That’s probably true.” He ruffled their hair again and faced Shiro. Lance bit his lip, unconsciously standing to make himself seem taller. “I’ve dreamed about working with you since I joined the garrison. It was a hell of a lot better than I could eve imagine.” He held out his hand, as Shiro once had to thank Lance for saving his life.

Shiro hesitated, then pushed Lance’s hand away to pull him in for a hug. “Thank you,” Shiro said, trying to put a lot of words he wasn’t sure how to express in those two. “We’ll miss you.”

Lance nodded, more solemn than before. “Get them home,” he said, “I mean, save the universe and all that jazz, but-“

“I will,” Shiro promised. Lance split apart from him and clapped him on the shoulder, a favor he returned.

He turned to the last person. Keith was shaking and finding it hard to keep eye contact with Lance, but reminded himself this was all the time he had with him, and he’d regret looking away later. “What?” He said, after Lance stared at him for just a moment too long, “can’t say anything nice about me?”

Lance didn’t smile or joke as Keith expected. Instead, he bit his lip and said, “It occurs to me that if you punch me, it won’t hurt. So there’s basically no consequences for me here.”

“Lance, I can’t fight you now, I-“ Lance grabbed Keith’s face and kissed him full on the mouth. Keith stood, shocked for a moment, then wrapped his arms around the hologram and held onto Lance as though he could keep him there with force of will. He had wanted this, and felt electricity coursing through him. 

Lance, of course, felt nothing. He let the kiss go, still holding onto Keith. “I should have done that sooner.” 

Keith’s eyes leaked tears hot and fast. “Don’t do this to me,” He wiped his eyes, “You can’t just do this to me and then leave.” 

Lance gave him one last kiss, lighter and gentler than the first. “I’m sorry.” 

Keith clutched him tight, his eyes red and wet. Lance closed his eyes, holding him, but as he squeezed tight, the hologram of him flickered. Keith’s arms went through him and he backed away in horror as Lance flickered in and out of existence. “Coran!” Allura yelled.

“There’s nothing I can do,” Coran said, “He only has a few ticks left.”

Lance swallowed, panicked. “Okay, okay, um,” he looked around at his friends, “okay I need you guys to take my body back to Earth, tell my family what I was doing, what I—what I died for. Tell them I’m sorry for not saying goodbye.” He flickered again, “And tell them I love them! My mom, my sisters, my—“ his hands had completely faded, his legs threatening to follow. “And, uh, take care of blue for me. Make sure the next paladin isn’t an asshat. And-and—“ he flickered and was gone.

Keith reached out to where his image had been, only grabbing air. The image of the beach dissipated, and the six of them were left in the blank holoroom. 

Allura reached over and held Keith’s shoulders. He sobbed, reaching across his chest to hold her hand. Coran hugged Hunk, whose tears fell in giant drops. Shiro held Pidge, finally letting his tears fall. Shiro reached over and pulled Allura into a hug with his free arm, and she dragged Keith with her. Hunk and Coran glomped onto them, and they were left in a group hug in the middle of the room, no one willing to leave just yet.


End file.
